36 
THE GEOLOG 1* OE AUCKLAKi). 
boiling mud, a fumarole called Karapiti , an emormous jet of 
liiglj-pressure steam, escaping with sucli force as to produce a 
sound like letting-off the steam from huge boilers, and as to eject 
to a great height sticksj or the like, thrown in bp the curious 
traveller. On the right bank is another fumarole of similar 
character, called Parahiri. 
5. About twenty-five miles below the outlet of the Waikato 
from Taupo, at the “pa” Orakei-lcoralco, both banks of the 
i apidly-flowing river are perforated, in more than a hundred 
different j)laces, by fumaroles and boiling springs, most of which 
are o± the intermittent kind * and siliceous incrustations of 
beautiful colours decorate the banks of the river. Temini-a- 
llomaitei o.iigi- the principal geyser—throws up its large column 
of boiling water at intervals of about two hours to a height from 
ffi) to 30 feet. An immense volume of steam succeeds the jet, 
and the water then suddenly sinks into the basin. 
6. At Orakei-korako the line of hot springs crosses the Wai¬ 
kato, and continues along the foot of the very remarkable Pai- 
r °a range on the Easterly side of the Waikato. The almost 
perpendicular Western side of tins range is caused bv an 
immense “fault’ in the volcanic plateau, corresponding to a deep 
fissure in the earth-crust, from which sulphureous acid, sulphur¬ 
etted hydrogen, sulphur and steam, are continually escaping, 
while huge bubbles of ash-coloured mud are rising on the 
surface. 
7. From the same range, the warm-water river Waihite takes 
it,') oiigin. On both sides are deep pools of boiling water, on 
tlie margins of which we discovered most beautiful ferns, hitherto 
unknown, one species belonging to the genus Neplrolepis, the 
oilier to the genus Goneopteris. These ferns are remarkable 
not only for their elegance, but also’from the peculiar circum¬ 
stances under which they exist, as they are always surrounded 
by an atmosphere of steam. 
b. W e now come to the well-known Hotomakaxa, the most 
wonderful of all the wonders of the Hot Springs district of New 
Zealand. I will not attempt to describe in a hasty lecture like 
this the beauties, of this Fairy-land. Whoever has had the hap¬ 
piness to look into the blue eyes of Qtnkapuarmuji and Te 
Tarata can ever forget their charms 1 and whoever has stood 
